CLEAR AND FAST CODING FOR PLASTIC PIPES

The Imaje printers have replaced hot foil coders, which could not deliver the readability, reliability and flexibility needed to match Geberits productivity and quality objectives. Although the main reasons for changing to Imaje inkjets were reliability and print quality

Geberit (UK) Limited, the leading manufacturer of plastic plumbing and drainage products, is using Imaje S4 and S4+ inkjet printers to code the 200 tonnes of plastic soil, waste, rainwater and drainage pipes it produces weekly at its Aylesford, Kent plant. Marketed under the Terrain brand, the pipes are produced in a range of sizes from 21 to 160 mm and each length is coded every metre with manufacturer, product code, date of manufacture and the BSI Kitemark.

The Imaje printers have replaced hot foil coders, which could not deliver the readability, reliability and flexibility needed to match Geberits productivity and quality objectives. Although the main reasons for changing to Imaje inkjets were reliability and print quality, the facility to change the coding quickly and easily has allowed the coding to be used as a marketing tool, rather than just for product identification. Earlier this year, Geberits marketing department decided that every length of pipe should carry the company logo as well as the Terrain brand name. With the old hot foil coders, this would have been impractical but the change could be implemented in minutes on the Imaje inkjets.

There is simply no comparison", says Production Manager, Andy Martin, between the hot foil coders and the new inkjets. The quality of the coding now matches the quality of our product, which keeps our customers happy, and the reliability of the Imaje S4 and S4+ means that we dont lose production because of coder breakdown. Being at the end of the production process, the reliability of the coders is crucial as any fault will cause a total line stoppage and, possibly, late delivery to our customer. The Imaje inkjets are fantastic; excellent print quality and reliability certainly makes my life easier."

Geberit have three Imaje S4s and five S4+s, which code all production at the Aylesford plant. Designed for 24/7 use in industrial environments, the S4 control system is enclosed in a splash proof, stainless steel cabinet with built-in QWERTY membrane keyboard and LCD screen; 1 line/40 characters on the S4 and 640x200 pixels on the S4+. Both types can be networked to a production control computer or ERP system via the RS232 interface and can be fitted with twin printheads to provide coding on two sides of a product or two, separate production lines simultaneously.

Imaje UK Limited is a subsidiary of Imaje SA, a Dover company, one of the world leaders in industrial coding and marking. The company specialises in the development and distribution of continuous ink coding and print & apply systems to the food and drink, pharmaceutical, mailing, aerospace component and cable industries. Imaje SA operates in more than 120 countries and its products and services are available through a network of 30 subsidiaries and more than 50 distributors.

ENDS